Latest On Corey Hart

TUESDAY: There was a time when Brewers first baseman/right fielder Corey Hart looked like an extension candidate, or at least a trade candidate, but those ideas might be out the window due to a delayed recovery from January knee surgery. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel explains, Hart once talked about a May season debut, but he suffered setbacks in recent workouts and still isn't close to a minor league rehab assignment. There's no talk of a timetable; a mid-July return after the All-Star break appears unlikely. Adds Haudricourt, "At this point, it's not completely out of the question that he will miss the entire season, though nobody is ready to say that yet."

The Brewers are clearly defined sellers this summer, and Hart could have been a primary asset since he's in his contract year and offers good power. But Hart won't be traded by the July 31st deadline, and the idea of moving him in August is speculation at best. He's earning $10MM and can block deals to 15 teams.

The Brewers weren't interested in extending Hart prior to the injury, he explained to Haudricourt, saying, "They weren't really open to talks beforehand so it's not like me having a bad knee affected it." Hart, who will play next season at age 32, averaged 29 home runs per year from 2010-12. Given the seriousness of his knee injury, Hart seems a candidate for a one-year free agent deal in the offseason.